Livia J. Washburn

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

It’s time for the Harvest Festival again, and Phyllis is determined to bake a killer pecan pie.

Hollywood comes to Weatherford, Texas, as a movie company arrives to shoot scenes for a film based on the novel by Phyllis Newsom’s friend Eve. But movie fantasy turns to deadly reality as a murder recreated for film turns out to be the genuine article, and once more Phyllis has to track down a cunning killer to see that justice is done.

DEATH BAKES A PECAN PIE is the fourteenth novel in the critically acclaimed and best-selling Fresh Baked Mystery series. Phyllis and her friends tackle another complex case with all the humor, camaraderie, good-hearted warmth, and delicious recipes that have made readers around the world fall in love with this series.

Recipes included!

Who knew 14 years ago that Phyllis and Sam would still be sticking their noses into murder? I sure didn't. I honestly thought their story ended with book 10, but they wouldn't stay quiet. Thanks to all the fans of this series for keeping their story alive.

Friday, March 09, 2018

Blog-a-Book-Scene is a monthly themed blogging endeavor from a group of
authors who love to share excerpts from their stories. Find us on Twitter with
the hashtag #blogabookscene and #PrairieRosePub.

March’s theme is Beware the Ides of March The excerpt below
is from my western romance novel, Lizzy that was included in the boxed set Mail
Order Brides for Sale: The Remington Sisters! There are four Remington sisters,
and a novel about each romantic adventure and it’s on sale until March 10th
for only 99 cents. This is the scene where the sisters find out their
stepfather is even more evil than they originally thought and conspires with
other evil men.

EXCERPT

“What is it?” Belle
wanted to know.

“I’m not sure, but I
know somehow it’s...not
good.”

Belle wasn’t one to
make a fuss about anything unless it was absolutely necessary. Lizzy could tell
she was puzzled and a little annoyed, but curiosity
won out and she leaned closer to the door with her three sisters.

“—all settled, then, gentlemen,” Josiah Bloodworth
was saying. “You four will marry the Remington
sisters and gain a fortune from them—but we will sign
an agreement here and now that any monies you receive upon marriage will be
split with me down the middle. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even know
there was a fortune to be had by marrying a Remington.”

Lizzy drew back
sharply, almost as if she had been struck. She looked
at Lola, at Belle, at Bree.
All of them stared back at
her and at each other with shocked expressions.

The same emotion was in the eyes of each of the Remington sisters.

Horror.

The
four sisters have some surprises of their own for Bloodworth. Mail Order Brides
for Sale: The Remington Sisters written by Livia J. Washburn, Jacquie Rogers,
Cheryl Pierson, and Celia Yeary 99 cent sale ends Saturday March 10th.

Friday, January 19, 2018

Blog-a-Book-Scene is a monthly themed blogging endeavor from a group of authors who love to share excerpts from their stories. Find us on Twitter with the hashtag #blogabookscene and #PrairieRosePub.

January’s theme is Baby, It’s cold outside. The cold Alaskan excerpt below is from my western romance novel, Lizzy that was included in the boxed set Mail Order Brides for Sale: The Remington Sisters! There are four Remington sisters, and a novel about each romantic adventure. This is my

Brought up in the wealth and comfort of Eastern “old money” in staid and proper Philadelphia, the Remington sisters are forced to scatter to the four winds and become mail-order brides. In order to gain a fortune, their sinister step-father, Josiah Bloodworth, has made plans to marry them off in loveless marriages. Time is running out, and no matter what lies ahead in their uncertain futures, it has to be better than the evil they’re running from…

LIZZY: Livia J. Washburn

Elizabeth Remington’s world is turned upside down when she is forced to become a mail-order bride. With her cat, Fulton, Lizzy flees to Alaska—only to discover the man she’s to marry is not who she thought he was! Now, she must protect herself from the biggest danger of all—her own heart. Handsome Flint McKinnon has signed his soul away to her step-father, hasn’t he? He’s chased Lizzy across the continent, but can she believe him when he says he loves her?

EXCERPT

From the way Lizzy was having trouble catching her breath, she would have thought she was much higher in the mountains, where the air was thinner.

But it was Flint’s simple declaration that had stolen all the breath from her body. He was looking directly into her eyes, and the sincerity, the utter truth she saw in his gaze, shook her to her core.

“No...” she whispered.

“Yes,” he said. “Why do you think I followed you all the way here to Alaska? I had a bit of money of my own saved—not enough to rescue my uncle’s business ventures—but enough for me to track you down after you disappeared. I hired detectives, and they led me to that matrimonial agency. From there, I learned that you were supposed to marry a man named Gabriel Devery in Seattle. That...that tore me up inside, Lizzy.” The pain in his voice and on his face was undoubtedly genuine. “You fled from marrying me, but you were willing to marry a stranger just to get away.”

“From Josiah,” she said. “To get away from Josiah and his scheme...but I can see...I can see why you felt the way you did.”

“I’m glad of that, anyway. Glad you understand.”

Without thinking about what she was doing, Lizzy reached out and rested her fingers on his forearm. “Why didn’t you tell me all this as soon as you arrived in Harrisburg?” she asked. “Why did you let me stay angry at you?”

“Pride, I guess,” he said with a sigh. “Although how a man who’s just chased a woman all the way across a continent can have any pride left, I don’t know.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a man going after what he wants. No reason not to be proud.” Lizzy swallowed hard. “If that’s what he really...wants.”

“More than anything in the world,” Flint said.

His hands came up, rested gently on her shoulders, urged her toward him. Lizzy didn’t resist. His fingers grazed the side of her neck, slid along her jaw to cup her head with incredible tenderness. It was amazing how those hands, strong enough to swing a pickax or fight for what was right, could be so soft and compelling now in their touch. Her head tipped back, not forced but willingly, instinctively, and her eyes closed as she felt his warm breath brush her cheek.

An instant later, his lips found hers.

Lizzy moaned softly, deep in her throat, as she put her arms around his waist and molded herself to him. The urge to be closer to him, as close as humanly possible, rose up and crashed through her in an irresistible wave. She clung to him as their mouths worked together, hungrily, passionately, and the sensation made her head spin until she felt like she was flying high in the air, higher than any of these majestic mountains that rose around them.

There was no way of knowing how high she might have flown, because at that moment the sound of a gunshot blasted through the gulch and set off clamoring echoes among the slopes.

Lizzy is only one book in Mail Order Brides for Sale: The Remington Sisters! It’s on sale now and also contains novels by Cheryl Pierson, Jacquie Rogers, and Celia Yeary.

Sunday, November 19, 2017

This week we have a fun group of food mysteries for your Thanksgiving dinner reading-Asking for Truffle: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery by Dorothy St. James, Dead and Ganache: A Chocolate Whisperer Mystery by Colette London, The Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams, Assault and Buttery: A Popcorn Shop Mystery by Kristi Abbott, The Great Chili Kill-Off: A Fresh Baked Mystery by Liv Washburn, and The Quiche and the Dead: A Pie Town Mystery by Kirsten Weiss. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of all 6 books, along with links you can use to purchase them.
Kings River Life Magazine's Food Mysteries For Your Thanksgiving Holiday includes a very nice review of the 12th Fresh Baked Mystery, THE GREAT CHILI KILL-OFF. Lots of fun reading included.http://kingsriverlife.com/11/18/food-mysteries-for-your-thanksgiving-holiday/

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Brought up in the wealth and comfort of Eastern “old money” in staid and proper Philadelphia, the Remington sisters are forced to scatter to the four winds and become mail-order brides. Their sinister step-father, Josiah Bloodworth, has made plans to marry them off in loveless marriages—marriages to men who will do his bidding, and help him gain a fortune. But time is running out for the beautiful Remington brides. No matter what lies ahead in the uncertain future they’re headed for, it has to be better than the evil they’re running from…

LIZZY: Livia J. Washburn

Elizabeth Remington’s well-ordered world is turned upside down when she is forced to become a mail-order bride to escape the plans of their sinister step-father, Josiah Bloodworth. With her cat, Fulton, Lizzy flees to Alaska, a wild land in the throes of gold fever—but she soon discovers the man she’s to marry is not who she thought he was! Taking refuge in a saloon alongside rough-and-tumble gold miners and cutthroat claim jumpers, she tries to protect herself from the biggest danger of all—her own heart. Flint McKinnon has signed his soul away to the Devil in Philadelphia, she believes. He’s chased Lizzy across the continent, but can she believe him when he says he loves her?

BELLE: Jacquie Rogers

Belle Remington must marry someone else before the dangerous Neville Fenster catches up with her. She's desperate to escape the wicked match her step-father has arranged—so she hightails it out of Philadelphia to the wild land of Idaho Territory to become a bootmaker's mail-order bride. But when she arrives in Oreana, she discovers her groom has been murdered—and now, his brother-in-law, rancher Cord Callahan, insists on fulfilling the marriage contract himself. Belle’s life depends on a hasty marriage, and an inebriated Cord is happy to oblige. Belle is beautiful and smart as a whip. But she has a secret. When Fenster shows up, can Cord protect the woman he wants to love forever?

SABRINA: Cheryl Pierson

Impulsive Sabrina Remington, the youngest sister, chooses to wed a man she knows her well-bred family will disapprove of. Cameron Fraser is half Scottish, half Cherokee, and all-out dangerous! Though his family owns a ranch, Cam has made his way in the world with his fast draw for many years—he’s a gunman, living barely on the right side of the law. Will Sabrina be able to find a new life, and lasting love, in lawless Indian Territory with him? His skills with a gun may see Cam Fraser as the only man alive who can keep Sabrina safe from her diabolical step-father. With everything on the line as Bloodworth and his henchmen close in, will Cam be able to protect Sabrina from the desperate man who means to kidnap her for his own wicked purposes?

LOLA: Celia Yeary

As the eldest daughter, Lola Remington made sure her younger sisters were well on their way to escape from their ruthless step-father, Josiah Bloodworth, before she thought of herself. Bloodworth’s intentions are calculated and cruel—and he has determined that Lola will marry his detestable cohort—Uriah Pleasant. Lola makes her escape to a rancher in Texas who waits to marry her. Jackson Theodore Rains is something—self-assured, handsome as sin, tough…and tender. But Lola has stepped into the middle of a violent Range War. To make matters worse, Jack lets her know he had expected someone younger—he wants a big family to fill his home. To cover her disappointment, Lola throws herself into learning how to shoot, how to ride—and how to escape once more when the dangerous Mr. Pleasant unexpectedly finds her and makes her his prisoner. But the main goal was to win Jack’s love—the biggest battle of all.

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Anyone with back or knee problems knows how difficult it is to shave your legs when they're acting up. Something I've experienced with rheumatoid arthritis which I was only diagnosed with about ten years ago. I've actually had trouble reaching the lower part of my legs with a razor since the day I started shaving. At age 11 my right knee started giving me trouble, lots of pain, swelling, and a weird blue knot. During sixth grade PE I scared my teacher to death when we were playing leap frog. This was a class where we did a lot of tumbling, cartwheels, and such, and I had great fun with it most days. The best I could ever do was a handstand over to a backbend and then stand back up. I could never do it quickly but I was proud to accomplish that. On this particular day my right knee was acting very fussy and we were leaping high. I told him that I didn't think I could do it. The coach convinced me to try. I think he thought I was scared. Well, I leaped over the person's back but the landing wasn't pretty. For one thing it's hard to jump when your knee doesn't want to bend, so I couldn't get the height I really needed, and then my knee said nope on the landing and I went down and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to come back up. Coach thought he broke me, bless his heart. I did get up but bending the knee was very painful and that was the beginning of the doctors. I had experienced pains in my ankles and other joints for the two years before. Mom would wrap the swollen joint in an Ace bandage and I'd head on to school. The right knee was the worst pain, though.

Doctors were pretty clueless, experimenting on me until finally we all agreed to just let the knee hurt. James was a sweetheart. He took over chores like cleaning the bathtub. There weren't many tools to help when we first married. I remember the first grabber I bought. What a wonderful tool. I have several of those handy tools.As I got older, especially when I started having to lift my mother, my back started giving trouble too. So then my knee didn't want to bend, and neither did my back. The last thing I wanted to do was ask my husband to shave my legs. He would have, of course, but I didn't like not being able to do it myself. That's when I made razor on a stick. My first attempt was just a razor attached to a dowel. It worked much better than I thought it would. Handy in the shower and tub. I happily used my stick razor for many years and wished I'd thought of it sooner.When I was cleaning my father's fishing cabin I found an old mesh shower pouf on a handle.

I knew no one would ever use it again, but as I was about to toss it in the trash a thought occurred to me. I bet I could use that handle... My new and improved razor on a stick. I bought razors with a curved handle to fit the best with the curved stick. One tie is to keep it from sliding and the second is to keep it stable on the handle. Razors can easily be attached with either wire, like twist ties on loaves of bread, or with plastic zip ties, or good ol' duct tape would also work. Great for quickly shaving legs in the shower or the tub with limited bending.

If you don't have a cool handle, a dowel works fine and can be quickly attached to your favorite razor.

Friday, October 13, 2017

Friday the 13th is considered an
unlucky day in the United States. It occurs at least once every year, and up to
three times a year. It’s interesting to find that while there is evidence of
both Fridays and the number 13 being considered unlucky, there is no record of Friday
the 13th being especially unlucky before the 19th century. And it’s
all where you live, Hispanic and Greek culture find Tuesday the 13th
unlucky while it’s Friday the 17th for Italians.

Personally I haven’t found Friday
the 13th especially unlucky. We did have someone set a fire in a
nearby field on an October Friday the 13th. Luckily my husband and I
both worked from home, so we smelled the smoke and were able to call the fire
department and then take our shovels and keep it from a neighbor’s house. Seems
to me that was a lucky day, though.

This Friday the 13th is
another lucky day for me personally. It's the release date of the 13th Fresh Baked Mystery. I am
so lucky to be able to continue this series with Baker’s Deadly Dozen.

Baker's
Deadly Dozen (A Fresh Baked Mystery) (Volume 13)

Going back to school can be a
killer!

Phyllis Newsom and Sam Fletcher come out of retirement to take
substitute teacher jobs as a favor for some friends, but they soon realize that
the more things change, the more they stay the same. That means getting up
early, dealing with students and other teachers, and helping out with
extracurricular activities. The problem is, for Phyllis, stumbling over dead
bodies is an extracurricular activity!

When murder strikes at the school’s
Friday the Thirteenth dance, it’s unlucky not only for the victim but also for
the student who’s the prime suspect. Sam’s granddaughter has a crush on the boy
and can’t believe he’s a killer. Neither can Phyllis. The police are convinced,
though, so the only way Phyllis can help him is to uncover the true identity of
the killer stalking the halls of the high school before it’s too late!

EXCERPT

The light downstairs went out before they reached the stairwell. Phyllis
frowned. If Mr. McCracken was down there cleaning he should have been moving
around enough to keep the light on. Unless he was inside one of the classrooms,
then the light might have gone off, she reasoned.

Then it came on again.

Something about the way things were happening made a chill run down her
back. She was at the top of the stairs now, so she stopped and called, “Mr.
McCracken?”

A strange sound came from below. It might have been a human groan.
Ronnie exclaimed, “What was that?”

The lights went off again.

“Ronnie,” Phyllis said, “I’m starting to get the feeling that something
is wrong. Go back to the cafeteria and find your grandfather.”

“What are you going to do?” Ronnie gestured toward the stairs. “Go down
there and see what it is we heard? It might be a . . . a monster!”

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Livia J Washburn

About LJW

Under the names Livia J. Washburn and L.J. Washburn, Livia Reasoner has been writing award-winning, critically acclaimed mystery, western, romance, and historical novels for more than thirty years. She began to write in collaboration with her husband, author James Reasoner, and soon branched out into telling her own stories.

In addition to writing, Livia enjoys cooking and all aspects of publishing. She feels incredibly lucky that she's had a successful mystery baking series with NAL, and that as secretary of Western Fictioneers she's been able to publish at least 30 books in the last 3 years. A good day for her includes having time to create something new in the kitchen, on a story, and a great new cover.